Meehan calls for Penn State sex probe

As a child sex abuse scandal continues to rock the campus of Penn State University, a U.S. congressman from Pennsylvania is calling on the Obama administration to launch a federal investigation into the “disturbing” allegations.

Rep. Patrick Meehan, a Republican who represents the state’s 7th Congressional District, urged Education Secretary Arne Duncan in a letter on Tuesday to probe “whether federal law was broken in the failure of properly report allegations of sexual abuse at Penn State.”

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The school’s former football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky faces 40 counts of charges related to the sexual abuse of eight boys over a 15-year period.

On Monday, the school’s athletic director Tim Curley and interim senior vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz – both charged with lying to a grand jury investigating Sandusky and failing to report the allegations of abuse — announced that they would be stepping down.

Legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno - who was told that Sandusky was seen abusing a young boy in a locker room shower - has come under fierce criticism for only informing Curley of the alleged incident but failing to tell the campus police or other law enforcement agencies.

In his letter to Duncan, Meehan said the failure of Penn State officials to alert law enforcement agencies or campus security when notified of Sandusky sexually assaulting a minor in the locker room shower in 2002 raises serious questions about the university’s “internal response.”

The congressman argued that the Clery Act requires schools to publish and distribute an annual security report disclosing all criminal offenses reported to campus security or local police agencies, and that compliance of the federal statute “is the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Education.”

Duncan said on Monday that he found the sexual abuse allegations at Penn State “mindboggling,” and that they made him “extraordinarily angry.” A spokesman for the Education Department did not respond to a request for comment on Meehan’s call for a federal probe.

Asked about the scandal on Tuesday, presidential candidate Rick Santorum, a Penn State graduate, didn’t say whether Paterno should resign or be fired.

“All I can say is heads have rolled and probably more heads should roll,” he told the Union Leader. “I don’t know the facts and circumstances enough to say it should be Joe.”

Santorum also told the Leader that he hasn’t yet read the indictment filed against Sandusky, saying, “I’m sick to my stomach enough that I’m not sure I can read the indictment.”

I agree that heads should roll, Paterno's included. I work with adolescents who have been abused and for some it is a lifetime of pain and lost innocence. There is no excuse for this lapse of moral judgement. He was looking out for his own self, at the expense of innocent children. I was sick to my stomach all day long. Unfortunately, the old pervert will not be thrown into general population--he has enough money to ensure that he will be protected......maybe..... Karma, old man, karma.

First of all there is no need for a "Federal Investigation". The Pennsylvania State Police conducted a grand jury investigation which has revealed all of the reprehensible acts and the misguided coverup. Let the PA Attorney General's office handle the trial.

Sandusky should get the chair if convicted.

The two administrators who did not report to the police have resigned and should be prosecuted. They are also charged with perjury.

Spanier, the University president should resign immediately. How does he not call the police?

JoePa should announce his retirement effective at the end of the season. As the moral guide of PSU why he let this just get swept under the rug and ultimately continue for 6 more years should have spoken out. Call the cops Joe!

Mike McQuery, the eyewitness to one of the rapes should resign. How does a 6'4" person see a child being raped and waits to report it the next day?

all of the staff did was do the bare minimum and let a child molester continue to stalk little boys. Sick.

Paterno should never coach another game. There is not a more powerful, influential person at Penn State than Paterno. I don't understand why anyone wants to give Paterno a pass on this. The name Paterno will now be linked with child sex abuse forever. Way to go Joe!

Paterno should never coach another game. There is not a more powerful, influential person at Penn State than Paterno. I don't understand why anyone wants to give Paterno a pass on this. The name Paterno will now be linked with child sex abuse forever. Way to go Joe!

Yes, the Obama administration should launch a federal investigation into the “disturbing” allegations of sexual abuse of innocent children associated with officials at Penn State University.

These victims are extremely brave and to be commended for taking action to expose the truth about being sexually abused by Jerry Sandusky. This is not an easy thing to do, but keep in mind silence only hurts, and by speaking up there is a chance for healing, exposing the truth, and therefore protecting others.

Child predators are very cunning and manipulative. They know every trick on how to groom, threaten, lie, and put the fear of god into their victims and sometimes even their family members. They also appear to do a lot of goods things, they can be very charismatic and you may think they would never harm a child. They have to be this way, in order to not get caught and to continue to abuse Sexual predators are often powerful, charismatic and well-loved. It would be comforting if those who preyed on the vulnerable were obvious social misfits whose appearance would somehow set off alarm bells and give us the willies or the creeps. They rarely do. Usually, predators are among the last people we would suspect of sexually violating others. At a party, the predator isnt some oddball sitting alone in a corner because others feel uncomfortable with him. Most often, the predator is the guy throwing the party.

We must overcome the dangerous myth that because someone is successful or warm or caring, he or she couldnt have done that!" Lets hope that anyone, who has witnessed, suspected or may have been harmed by Sandusky, will find the courage and strength to speak up, and contact law enforcement or prosecutors.

It is sad that coaches are put on such a high pedestal, and Sandusky was able to use his power and clout to sexually abuse vulnerable children. Hopefully he will be kept far away from kids forever, and "ALL" who enabled and covered up his crimes will be held accountable too.

Children who are sexually abused are dealt a life long of sentence of pain and trauma which they never deserved. Kids are to be cherished and protected.

Lol - Obama appointed that pervert Kevin Jennings to a school saftey post. The Democrats go after the Boy Scouts for blocking potential perverts from their organization. Even CBS reported there is "100 times" more sexual abuse in public schools than there was in the Catholic Church - but people ignore the problem. Meehan sounds like a nitwit.

Why not let the facts come out before getting out your 'hangin rope' and scouting for a suitable tree. Then form your opinion on the culpability of those involved.

For those that think they already have enough information to decide the fate of everyone whose name is connected with this travesty, consider your source(s). Media and journalism is a business that relies on controversy to maintain a suitable bottom line, 'truth and honesty' in their mission statement carries about as much weight as 'change' in a politicians campaign.

And Rep. Meehan, just how will getting the Federal Government involved add any value to the process? I'm still looking for one example of federal action on any level that hasn't suffered from unintended consequences leaving things worse, or just as bad in a different way, than they were.

First, I must say I am disturbed and disappointed that so many people failed these children (from the Second Mile Foundation to Penn State), but I think a federal investigation is absolutely inappropriate.

The Republican Party's platform is smaller government, and that federal government should not be involved in state issues. For this Republican elected official to openly call for a federal investigation is out of line. He should be more concerned with leading the state to review policy and make appropriate changes within the state to ensure this does not occur again. He should not be wasting federal tax payer dollars on a federal investigation of policy and actions pertaining to a particular state.